Before there were 50 Cent and Floyd Mayweather or Adrian Broner and Kendrick Lamar, There was the Mike Tyson and the late Tupac Shakur. These two were really the first to merge the best of both world(Rap and Boxing) into something mutual. When Tyson first met Tupac during his Digital Underground Days in the late 80s, The two clicked instantly and remained in touch all the way until Tupac’s demise in 1996. One of the reasons why they bonded were that they shared alot of common traits amongst one another.They both came from poverty, They both used their talents in a fashion where it was never seen and generated millions, Both were also very ridiculed by the media, Both were very charismatic, Both were very misunderstood but intelligent and were admired by youth all over the world.

Both have also endured their fair-share of personal hell from the same industry that made them who they are. Both were falsely accused and imprisoned for rape as well as both were takened advantage of by shady managers(Don King and Suge Knight). When Tyson went to prison in 1992 for Rape, Tupac still kept in touch with him and discussed different plans with Mike for different organizations for re-building the community. Tupac knew Mike had a big heart, They both loved the people so Mike agreed and they were gonna really link up as soon as he got released from prison.

Mike also being the straight shooter that he was also wanted to warn Tupac about they company he kept. Around this time Tupac was hanging in Brooklyn with guys such as Haitian Jack, Jimmy Henchman, King Tut and other people who Mike knew wouldn’t have Tupac’s best interest at heart. Mike knew Tupac was way over his head and was too out there because he went through the same. Tupac didn’t listen and shortly there-after He was falsely accused of rape. And it wouldn’t get any better for Tupac, After agreeing to come to the studio to lay down verses for Jimmy Henchman’s artist Lil Shawn, Tupac was robbed and shot 5 times outside of the studio. The irony was Tyson was leaving prison as Tupac was entering shortly after.

Tyson and Pac kept in touch throughout Pac’s prison stint and exchanged letters. Pac told Mike soon as he was leaving prison that they vowed to conquer the world and that throughout the year of 1996 that they did. Tupac released All Eyez on Me in February 1996 which catapulted Pac into mega stardom and putting Death Row Records back on top as the Rap Games powerhouse.

Mike on the other hand conquered the boxing world by defeating Frank Bruno for the WBC heavyweight championship and regaining his spot as King of the Boxing world. Tupac showing support and admiration for his friend not only did a song for Mike to use as an entrance to the ring(Ambitionz as a Fighta) but he was also awaiting to congratulate him backstage for his victory. It was a very touching moment considering the obstacles that both men have fought and battled to get to where they were at. Mike ruled the Boxing world and Pac ruled the rap world and Pac’s vision of him and his friend conquering the world became a reality.

Tupac Ambitionz as a Fighta

Tupac continued to support his friend Mike, He would do entrance songs for Mike to use to the ring titled Road 2 Glory and would shout him out throughout many of his records. But on September 7th 1996, This was the day where everything would forever change for the worst. Feeling uneasy and at odds with the world at this period of his life, Tupac didn’t want go to the Tyson/Seldon fight in Vegas. It could have been also that Tupac felt the aura of death around him. He had already survived 5 shots and he had already caused mass hysteria throughout the summer with the release of his scattering and vicious diss record Hit Em Up. The warpath he was on put him in danger, Even causing tension within his own camp.

But he felt he owed his allegiance to Suge Knight and also wanted to go in support of his friend Mike Tyson. Before the fight, Tupac took a few hours to write a song titled Lets Get It On which would be sent to the Tyson camp to use as Tyson’s anthem to the ring. It would be the final song that Tupac would record in his life.

After Mike made short work of Bruce Seldon(Which was an obvious fix), The two were gonna meet up at the Death Row owned Venue Club 662 to celebrate Mike’s win. As Suge and Tupac were heading to the party, A white Cadillac pulled up aside the Vehicle Tupac and Suge were in and opened fire. One bullet hit Suge but it was Tupac whom was in the passenger side that caught the brunt of the crossfire. Hitting him 4 times in the chest, pelvis, right hand and thigh. The assailants hauled out of the Vegas strip leaving people stunned and witnesses speechless. Tupac was rushed to the hospital and fought for his life for a grueling 7 days. He was induced into a coma after trying to get out of bed and was kept alive through the life support machines.

Fans, Friends, and loved ones held on and prayed that Tupac was gonna survive but the scenario here was different from his first shooting. Tupac had his finger shot off and one of his lungs had to be removed due to damage. Tupac had he lived would have possibly been a vegetable and thats not what many people wanted to remember Pac for. Afeni Shakur(Whom is Tupac’s mother) made the decision to pull her son off the Life Support machine and let him go. September 13th 1996 at appoxemently 4:03 PM Tupac was pronounced dead.

Mike Tyson shortly would suffer the fame fate career wise. He would lose the title to Evander Holyfield later on that year and was obviously not the same fighter he once was. Mike was also battling personal demons along with being financially robbed by promoter Don King. Tyson’s once promising resurrection of his career seemed to have hit a screeching halt with the Holyfield loss and then the debacle of the rematch where he bit Holyfields ear off. Tyson’s career was never the same and lost that true desire to really box.

Tyson would retire from the sport of boxing all together in 2005 claiming that he lost the passion, love, and will to really fight and got tired of doing it for a pay-day. Between losing friends, losing tons of money over lawsuits, getting robbed by his promoter and losing fights that he once would have dominated, It was crystal clear that Tyson was done and his last fight showed that he was a shadow of his former self.

Even though it was a short period, 1996 would forever be known as the year where Mike Tyson and Tupac Shakur conquered the world at both of their professions and stood on top despite everything the world had to throw at them. Love them or hate them, These two changed the platform of their professions and will always be remembered for the impact that they made during that short period in time.

Vic Da Ruler

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About Vic Da Rula

What more can I say? I enjoy Hip Hop, Sports, and living the good life!
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